The present invention is in the field of battery operated devices, in which confinement abutments are necessary. It relates in particular to blocking in position a button battery in a telecontrol housing (also called a coded key), for opening/closing the doors of a vehicle.
There are conventionally known automobile keys using an electronic code transmitted to the vehicle when the user pushes on a button located on the key. These keys generally require an internal source of electrical energy, which usually takes the form of a button battery, which is a thin disc, for example 16 mm in diameter and 2 mm thick.
Such batteries must be able to be installed when the key is first used, and then eventually be replaced when they become discharged after several years. Thus, the housing of the key is conventionally made of two nesting parts, and the device for blocking the battery in position comprises one or several fixed abutments, of rigid plastic material, and a thin locking finger, whose flexibility permits, by resilient deformation, introducing the battery in place, and which then returns to a position preventing movement of the battery from its recess.
It will be understood that such devices have the drawback that the locking finger is very fragile, and handling, both during the first installation of the battery as well as during replacement of the latter, can lead to breakage of the locking finger. The battery is then no longer suitably blocked in its recess.
EP 0 5080 886 describes a confinement device for a flat battery of the button type by means of lugs and/or bearings associated with leaf springs adapted to effect electrical contacts. The problem this document seeks to solve consists in avoiding leaving access to the electronic components during changing the battery. The problem of wear and of rupture of the lugs is not addressed.
DE4226578 describes an automotive remote control housing integrating a device for confining flat batteries, of the button type, in which the batteries are held in place by the cover and because of this fall upon opening the housing. There are no lugs or retaining means for the battery in the lower part of the housing and the problem of wear and of breakage of these elements is not addressed.
The present invention solves the preceding problem and provides for this purpose a device that is simple to make and inexpensive.
According to the invention, the device adapted to limit the bending of a flexible means in one bending direction, comprises an abutment disposed in this direction at a distance from the deformable end of the flexible means.
The invention provides a device for confining a flat battery of the button type for an automotive key housing, comprising a lower portion supporting at least one locking finger flexible in one direction of bending, characterized in that the lower portion comprises an abutment limiting the bending of the locking finger in this direction, said abutment being spaced from the locking finger in the direction of bending sufficiently to permit the emplacement of the battery to be confined whilst preventing the locking finger from leaving its resilient bending range.
Preferably, the means for limiting bending is an abutment disposed at a small distance from the locking finger, in the direction of bending, the space between the locking finger and the abutment being sufficient to permit the emplacement of the object to be confined whilst preventing the locking finger from leaving its resilient bending range.
According to a particular embodiment, corresponding in particular to the use for an electronic key housing, the device also comprises an upper portion, nestable on the lower portion, this upper portion comprising preferably a corner adapted to be disposed, when the housing is assembled, between the locking finger and the abutment.
It will be understood that this finger is adapted to hold the locking finger in blocked position of the confined object, when the housing is closed.
To limit the movement of the object confined in the case of breakage of the locking finger, the upper portion of the housing preferably comprises a projection bearing on the object, when the upper portion is assembled on the lower portion.
The description and drawings which follow permit better understanding of the objects and advantages of the invention. It is clear that this description is given only by way of example, and is not limiting in character.